How to identify Hoverflies for Beginners

So, You've Spotted Your First Hoverflies – What's Next?

If you read my previous article, How to Start Watching Hoverflies Today – No Equipment Needed, then brilliant, welcome back. If not, and you're wondering how to get started, you might want to read this article first (click here).

Last time, we looked at some of the key features that help distinguish hoverflies from other insects in the field. The next step is learning how to get a closer look at them so you can begin to marvel at these fascinating flies. Hoverflies are remarkable creatures: pollinators, decomposers, and natural pest controllers all wrapped up in one little insect.

Once you've spotted a hoverfly, there are three main ways to get a closer look.

1. Observe it from a distance with binoculars.

2. Take photographs on your smartphone.

3. Capture it briefly for closer inspection with pots.

Each approach has its advantages, and which one you choose will depend on your confidence, the equipment you have available, and the species you're trying to identify.

Let's take a look at each method in turn.

Looking From Afar.

When I head out on one of my hoverfly-spotting adventures, I always carry a pair of binoculars. Not for birdwatching, although they come in handy for that too, but for hoverflies.

Hoverflies are remarkably aware of movement around them. Their large compound eyes provide excellent vision, and they also possess three simple eyes, known as ocelli, arranged in a small triangle on the top of the head. These help them detect changes in light intensity and maintain orientation during flight.

This sensitivity is one reason hoverflies can seem so difficult to approach. Move too quickly, make a sudden movement, or cast a shadow over them, and they're often gone in an instant.

Rather than walking straight into a patch of flowers, I usually stand back and watch through my binoculars first. This allows me to observe behaviour and pick out important features without disturbing the insect.

You can learn a surprising amount this way. Is the hoverfly basking in the sun? Feeding on nectar? Defending a territory? Different species often have distinct habits, and behaviour can provide useful clues to their identity.

If I spot something particularly interesting, I'll then begin a slow and careful approach.

With a little experience, it's often possible to identify some species simply by studying their shape, size, markings, and behaviour from a distance, leaving the hoverfly to get on with feeding, basking, or patrolling its territory completely undisturbed.

How to Start Hoverfly Spotting

How to Start Watching Hoverflies Today – no equipment needed.

Before I discovered hoverflies, I thought flies were just that - flies. They were the insects that buzzed around gardens, landed on flowers or, worse still, decaying matter, and in the case of houseflies were generally best avoided. Then one day I paid closer attention to one of the many yellow-and-black-banded hoverflies. At first glance it looked like a wasp, yet it had no sting. Its markings were striking, almost like a carefully designed football kit, and the longer I looked, the more fascinated I became.

Great Pied Plumehorn (Volucella pellucens)

Discover the hoverfly with love spots, not afraid of a wasp and can be hidden in plain sight.

Great Pied Plumehorn (Volucella pellucens) 

Wing Length 10-15.5mm. Body size 13-17mm

Flight. May-Sep

Species to spot in Jul-Aug

A large, predominantly black hoverfly, distinguished by a broad ivory band across the abdomen and striking black-and-amber markings on the wings. It is commonly referred to as the Pellucid Hoverfly, with pellucid deriving from the Latin per (“through”) and lucere (“to shine”), meaning transparent or clear. However, as transparent wings are a feature shared by many hoverflies, the name has always felt somewhat unremarkable.

One of this species’ more distinctive characteristics is its feathery antennae, for this reason, I have begun referring to it as the Pied Plumehorn. The term pied—an adjective describing black-and-white colouration—follows the naming convention used for familiar British birds such as the Pied Wagtail and Pied Flycatcher. The name has since been adopted in several recent publications, including Guide to Flies of Britain & Ireland (2026) and Hoverflies of Britain and NW Europe (2023) both of which seek to promote the wider use of hoverfly English common names.

I have since added the prefix Great to reflect its size relative to other hoverflies that could also be considered pied, such as White – Clubbed Glasswing (Scaeva pyrastri). While these species share similar contrasting colouration, none possesses the distinctive plume-like antennae that make the Great Pied Plumehorn such a fitting and hopefully memorable name.

Hoverflies at the Commonwealth Games

Now for something completely different.....

We often anthropomorphise the creatures we encounter, giving them names and personalities. It allows us, as humans, to feel more connected to wildlife. As a child, I would often be glued to the TV watching Johnny Morris on Animal Magic. His voiceovers regularly made me laugh out loud.

Well, this week’s offering isn’t from a zoo, nor is it a voiceover about the strange behaviours of its inhabitants. Instead, it’s a bit of fun.

For the next 11 days, the Commonwealth Games will be on our screens, showcasing a wide range of sporting events we rarely get to see nowadays. So, join me as I jump, swim, and run into a bit of fantasy—exploring which events our hoverflies, these little superhero pollinators, might take part in.

While hoverflies (Syrphidae) are not Olympic athletes, their specialised and agile flight—including hovering, backward flight, and rapid darting—makes them uniquely suited to mimic the mechanics of certain Commonwealth disciplines.

This is all a bit of fun, but also a great way for me to highlight the traits of some of our most common hoverflies and how they might earn their place on the team.

You may well have your own suggestions—and that’s absolutely fine. Everyone has good reasons for their team selections, and it’s easy to argue that the best hoverflies were left at home, especially when results don’t go our way. But I’ve done my best!

Athletics

Hoverfly Spotter Jul26 Sightings – part 1

Hoverflies, Hoverflies, and a few Moths – July 26

We are now past the longest day of the year and the days are getting shorter and the nights longer. Yet, as I sit down to write this article, we seem to be in the grip of another heatwave—the second, or perhaps the third of the summer. I've honestly lost count.

Many of you have been out spotting hoverflies and sharing your sightings, which is wonderful to see. I hope my article, notes and ‘Hoverflies on the Wing’ collations are helping you discover more of these fabulous flies. I know I’ve certainly been seeing a wider variety of species this year, although I can’t help wondering how the recent spells of hot weather have been affecting them.

Hoverflies are often known as “sun flies” because they become active when the sun shines. However, they are surprisingly sensitive to temperature and, like Goldilocks, prefer conditions that are ‘just right’. When temperatures fall below around 8°C, many species enter a state of torpor and become inactive. At the other extreme, when temperatures climb above 25°C, hoverflies often retreat into shade or sheltered spots to avoid overheating.

In many ways, I’ve behaved much like the hoverflies during this latest heatwave, seeking refuge from the hottest part of the day whenever possible. Despite the high temperatures, I’ve still managed to get out with the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, lead a session for the Barnsley Naturalist Association, and even fit in a little moth trapping in my garden.